Despite the dead of night and its foreboding darkness, there was a gaiety to the atmosphere that almost diverted their attention from the impending doom.
While the townsfolk moved around fulfilling their tasks, Lucien wandered about, questioning them.
Their situation was not completely resolved. But that hopelessness was gone. They moved with resolve now. And it was only after that resolve emerged that Lucien grasped what Gaya was saying.
It was startling that one could miss the presence of death until life came, the presence of sadness until happiness came, the presence of weakness until strength came.
It happened in many other ways, and Lucien took it as a lesson to always watch out for—even in his own life. To seek the things that were missing in his life which he had overlooked and then work on them.
He sighed, staring toward the mountains Elara had pointed them to.
Adrian joined him while he stood there. The young attendant was a bit hesitant. Then he smiled.
"The Lady... she is a very sagacious fellow. How did you two meet?"
There was a soft white glow in Lucien’s eyes as he stared forward.
"She’s my nemesis, that sagacious fellow of yours."
Adrian was taken aback by the response; he found talking difficult for about half a second.
"S...S...Surely it can’t be that bad."
Lucien turned to him, his eyes cold.
"Trust me, buddy, it is that bad."
Adrian sounded rattled to his core.
"B...But you guys seem so... great, friendly together. Even your banters have a fondness to them."
"The eye is easily deceived because seeing is believing. Intent is deep and expression is shallow."
Lucien turned back to the mountain.
"Anyway. I’m thinking about something—are you in?"
Adrian looked at him intently, expecting him to continue. But Lucien only pressed the question.
"Master Cien, in on what?"
"On what I am thinking."
Adrian stared with a confused and reluctant expression.
"But Master Cien, I do not know what you are thinking. Isn’t it only reasonable that you share it with me?"
Lucien waved his head dismissively.
"Do not worry about it. If you are going to stress me with chat, chat, chat, just stay back anyway."
Lucien exhaled and leaped over the makeshift fence.
Adrian stared, shocked as Lucien leaped. He glanced back—Gaya was not in sight and the rest of the townsfolk were busy with one thing or another.
Lucien gave him one last glance.
"You’re coming or not?"
Adrian glanced back, confused again. They looked like two reckless kids who were trespassing the borders of nations.
He sighed and also leaped over the fence. Immediately both of them sprinted forward, running silently through the fields and toward the cave.
After a few minutes, they reached the front of the cave. The mark that Lucien had seen at the field.
He sighed, looking up at the cave.
Adrian spoke with uncertainty.
"Master Cien, this is the hideout of the Goblins and the strange creature that might be leading them. I thought we were going to let them come and fight them on our turf so we have enough information before venturing inside."
Lucien did not look at the young attendant; instead his gaze was fixed on the edge of the cave’s entrance where the spiral mark was inscribed.
"I’m very curious how the Guild missed the fact that there could be an Elder Deviant in this place."
Adrian looked at the cave also, his expression a bit pale and very reluctant.
"We sent a lot of Adventurers, but every single one of them always failed. Over time people started refusing the quest."
Lucien opened one hand—the Darkness Cutter slowly appeared as Adrian continued.
"The quest used to be a Tier 1 quest before because Goblins are low-level monsters. Until a party of Tier 3 Adventurers failed. Then the status was updated."
Adrian looked at the dark katana in Lucien’s hand with strained features.
"Master Cien, I really think we should leave this instant. The plan is much better—attempting to fight them on their turf is dangerous and reckless."
Lucien was still looking at the cave. Adrian could not see his facial expression aside from the fact that his eyes were glinting with a cold white light.
But Lucien was also grinning from ear to ear. The thought of this made his stomach churn with such joy—he’d be a coward not to try this out.
’The danger of numbers... huh.’
He was insanely curious.
’How bad can it be... I just faced a lot of numbers anyway.’
He twirled the katana in his hand, the dark blade catching the pale, joyless light of the triplet moons sitting in the embrace of the dark sky.
"Danger is the heart of life, Adrian. Live it. Love it."
Then Lucien bolted into motion. He surged forward and vanished into the cave.
Adrian remained at the entrance. He glanced back at the town and also looked at the cave.
"Should I go report this back, or should I just go after him? He is definitely going to need my help."
Adrian stood confused for more than a moment.
Then he scratched his head frantically.
"Ahhh, shit, whatever!"
And he bolted inside the cave too.
The moment Lucien entered, the words of the system echoed.
[You have entered an Open Dungeon]
It had him thinking for a while.
’Dungeons could be open too...?’
But he had never come across something like that while surfing the game forum. And he surfed that place a whole lot. He had simply two jobs in the last two days during the journey to the Federation.
Go to the Martial Art lesson and surf the forum.
Because of surfing the forum extensively, Lucien had learned a bunch of helpful things about Evolution Online.
Although many players often said that nothing was constant in Evolution Online, so it was advisable for people not to be too rigid in everything—knowledge, understanding, and methods.
Lucien looked forward to almost everything in Evolution Online because of this very reason. Because one minute, what one thinks is, could decide not to be.
The glamor of uncertainty, the sweetening temptation of danger.
It was the bane of his very existence.